The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-23

waited motives, grandeur and glory in
II all; tGrest applause. I love to
dwell upon these things, love to sit
BY the hour and talk over the ma I'M
cries Of the war. l love to think
about the sacrifices, and / want to-
say right here, that | would not call
from the grave my dead brothers, /
would not call back the property, l
would not surrender the memories
that come to me, il to recall all these
the brother who went down with
Jackson's men on that bloody field,
ii to recover all these treasures once
mine, but now gone, it requires me to
submit to the indignity that was Of
tered US to remain in the Union. |
would not my comrades, l would not
i'll could. Great applause.
l would rather stand on the
graves OF them all and give them up
a thousand times. The loss, the de-
vastation, the debris in this city in
1865, L would rather have it all again
than live abject, frowned upon, claim
ing to be equal in a republic where
we were no longer equal.
We talk about the late unhappy
war"-"the unfortunate war, it may
be so considered in some respects;
but l shall yet have to live to see the
day when shall say 1t would have
been better not to have fought it.
lGreat applause. Everybody may
not agree with me, l think you do;
if you don't you ought not to be
here. Laughter.
1t is better for the future of the
Southern boy, for the whole Southern
country, better for liberty and the
Republic, that there should have
been found men brave enough TO
have faced three times their humble
in battle array. What's liberty worth
If you cannot make that sacrifice,
what's the country
Is it these walls, these roads, these
iron ways that traverse from one end
TO the other OF the continent; is il
these temples Of justice and Of re-
ligion? No, no. IL is the manhood
and the womanhood that makes the
country. | would not give the par
ing Of my nail for all the broad
acres, for all our wealth, all our re.
sources and our prospects, without it
was associated with an untarnished
name, the light OF Gods sun falling
on forehead that had faced the
charge made against il. What is a
country worth without death? Oh,
yes; let it come, poverty, struggle,
strife, death; some Of US will live
through it. and those who do will be
men and women worthy OF those men
aud women who lived through the
days that are past.
Let us test IL, take the cases now.
Give me your boys and let me teach
them in different schools. Let us
teach one boy not to strike back
when his father is called q rebel and
coward, but 10 say he ls ashamed OF
II, and to declare that he bushes for
IL. Let us teach him 10 be a good
sort OF boy in every way after that.
Take the other boy; teach him to
live at peace with all men when he
can preserve his honor, but to send
home the blow when honor
and reputation demand il; not 10
stop and consider consequences, but
to do what that spirit OF honor de-
mands. Which will make the man
OF the future2 One may acquire
more Of worldly goods. but | would
rather take the bare footed, sore.
looted, ragged old Conled who stood
in the bitches, and with the training
that made him the man he was, ]
will save liberty thousand times.
We made q pretty good fight.
When the facts are all brought out
and they will be, IL will transpire that
We made the best the world ever saw.
lGreat applause. IL is said that we
robbed the cradles for soldiers, We
did come very nearly doing that, and
here Gov. Gordon related some
very amusing incidents Of the straits
the army was in At different times, how
recruits were warmly welcomed, aud
how eagerly they we're sought for.
The stories we're capitally told, and
created much laughter.
Those we're occurrences in those
times. Our people we're patriotic
no fellow wanted his place Ia the
ranks LETT vacant when he fought "a
old age, aud II he had been able 70
hold outs little longer, the babies Ia
the oradlesat home would eventually
have taken their sires' places. The
cause that you have been looking al
ter touight-placing hoadstones on
the graves Of our comrades is a
noble one, one that deserves practi
cal sympathy aud aid. Some sympa-
thetic effort should be made 10 raise
money; committees OF ladies and
gentlemen should be raised 10 solicit
contributions IRON all. Every little
will helps all will give something,
the aggregate doing a great deal 10
help your undertaking. And nov
one other though, some OF our
brothers, who fought by our sides in
the army, have been less fortunate
10 life than We have been. Let US
help them. Some OF US may not be
able to do much, but our
pittance will do great deal
OF good in certain quarters.
But above this aud in add.
ton TO this, / shall never feel salts.
fed until provision vastly better than
that made for our soldiers is made for
the sweet women who pinned the
cockade upon their husbands lapels,
kissed the ~ upon the forehead and
babe them go 10 the battlefield where
they laid down their lives, leaving
widows aud orphans at home without
protection or shelter. | shall never
feel satisfied until something better
than what has been done for the Con.
iedera,e soldiers is provided for these